Four Law School professors participate in World Bank discussions on international financial institutions

The Law School co-sponsored a series of discussions held by the World Bank for its “Law, Justice and Development Week,” which began on November 8. The focus was on legal challenges and opportunities facing international financial institutions, following the recent economic crisis, and four Law School professors were active participants. “NYU Law faculty have worked systematically to build a new approach to the law of global governance that goes beyond traditional international law,” explained Murry and Ida Becker Professor of Law Benedict Kingsbury. “We see many lawyers in international organizations as part of this new approach, and we very much welcomed the lively back-and-forth with senior lawyers from the major inter-governmental financial institutions on these ideas.”

Kingsbury and José Alvarez, Herbert and Rose Rubin Professor of International Law, co-moderated the lead-off panel. It addressed governance reform and the legal administrative framework within the units that form the World Bank Group, as well as at other international organizations. Kingsbury also presented a paper at another panel that examined the overload of obligations on fragile and conflict-affected countries, and Beller Family Professor of Business Law Kevin Davis was a member of that panel. Richard Stewart, John Edward Sexton Professor of Law, participated in a discussion looking at what international financial institutions can do to mainstream climate finance.

“We work closely on these projects with research institutes around the world, and we were very pleased that our partners Tsinghua Law School in Beijing, the Centre for Policy Research in Delhi, and the University of Geneva in Switzerland were among the other academic co-sponsors of this program,” Kingsbury said.